Telehealth nursing has become a popular patient treatment alternative, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic.
When you think about travel nursing, positions for hospital nurses and other specialty nurses may come to mind. But telehealth nursing is also a viable option for travel nurses.
If telehealth nursing is new to you, or you want to know the details on how travel nursing works for a telehealth nurse, keep reading. We’ll discuss what telehealth nursing is, how telehealth nursing works for travel nurses, and the many benefits of this remote way to serve patients.
Table of Contents
- What Is Telehealth Nursing?
- Telehealth Nursing for Travel Nurses: Can You Be a Travel Nurse and Do Telehealth Nursing?
- 5 Reasons Why Telehealth Nursing Can Be Beneficial
- What Is Required for Telehealth Nursing?
- Take Advantage of Trusted Nurse Staffing and Our Resources To Combine Travel Nursing and Telehealth Nursing
What Is Telehealth Nursing?
Telehealth nursing makes use of technology and telemedicine to provide nursing care to patients from remote locations. Though telehealth has been practiced for decades, it has become more popular and is in higher demand since the COVID-19 pandemic.
With the increased use of telehealth nursing and patients’ comfort with this new technology, telehealth nursing is likely here to stay.
Telehealth nurses can serve patients through different platforms, including:
- Web cameras
- Mobile smartphones
- Tablets
- Kiosks
- Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
- And more
Despite being a remote service, telehealth nursing is an effective way for nurses to:
- Provide care.
- Educate and counsel patients regarding self-care.
- Assess patients to see if an in-person visit is necessary.
- Diagnose lower-risk conditions.
- Outline treatment options.
Telehealth nursing can also be an affordable and convenient option:
- For patients who need quick care.
- To provide patient support from a distance.
- When it’s difficult to get to a patient.
- When it’s difficult for a patient to get to a nurse.
- During natural disasters.
- To provide pre-surgery instructions and post-surgery follow-up.
Telehealth Nursing for Travel Nurses: Can You Be a Travel Nurse and Do Telehealth Nursing?
Travel nursing and telehealth nursing might seem like two different ends of the nursing spectrum. But because of the increased demand for telehealth medicine, travel nurses can now be a part of the telehealth nursing community.
Because telemedicine is an easily accessible service, travel nurses can take advantage of opportunities to act as telehealth nurses while on the road.
That’s especially true if your travel nurse assignment takes you to rural areas where patients live greater distances from healthcare facilities. Telehealth nurses can help ease the burden that physicians and other healthcare staff carry in these areas.
For patients who are used to visiting the doctor’s office or relying on hospital services, telehealth may seem like a less reliable form of healthcare. Telehealth nurses can be key agents in helping patients understand how effective and safe telehealth resources can be.
As a travel nurse who works in the telehealth world, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the telehealth systems available at your assigned hospital. Understanding the systems and patient portals that are in place can help nurses better serve their patients as well as aid them in doing their job to the best of their ability.
Trusted Nurse Staffing would love to help you find the travel nurse job in the location you desire using your specialized training. Our recruiters work with you and listen to you to find the job of your dreams. Let our team members work for you.
Important Components of a Telehealth Nursing Job
For travel nurses working in the telehealth industry, there are some unique factors to consider to safely and effectively practice telehealth nursing on the road.
To do telehealth nursing effectively while managing risk, telehealth nurses should:
- Have safety precautions in place
- Utilize quality management tools; and
- Have access to HIPAA-compliant software
Telehealth Nurses Should Utilize Safety Precautions
Hackers are no respecters of person or profession — telehealth nursing included. Because telehealth nurses use remote technologies like smartphones or computers, telehealth nurses must practice special security precautions to protect privacy and avoid security breaches.
Some precautions telehealth nurses could consider include:
- Using a secure internet connection
- Being mindful of your location when taking telehealth appointments
- Properly using virtual private networks (VPNs)
- Taking advantage of identity authentication methods like multi-factor authentication
- Practicing endpoint privilege management
- Using a smartphone specifically designed for remote patient care
- Sharing security precautions with patients
Telehealth Nurses Should Use Quality Patient Management Tools
With telehealth nursing, stethoscopes, thermometers, and blood pressure machines become secondary tools of the trade. Telehealth nursing requires technological tools to provide quality care while maintaining privacy and security.
Consider investing in these quality patient management tools:
- Secure applications to manage patient data
- Devices (laptops, tablets, computers, etc.) with accessibility
- High-resolution cameras
- Mobile WiFi services with 5G connectivity
Telehealth Nurses Should Have Access to HIPAA-Compliant Software
Patient data privacy is of utmost importance. Using software that isn’t HIPAA-compliant puts your patients’ data at risk, which lessens patient trust.
When working as a travel telehealth nurse, you’ll want to make sure your assigned facility uses platforms and patient portals that meet HIPAA standards. Healthcare facilities use a variety of platforms, so take the time to become familiar with the one in use at your assigned facility to know how to use it properly.
5 Reasons Why Telehealth Nursing Can Be Beneficial
Maybe you’re a travel nurse who has always worked in a physical hospital or other healthcare facility. You’re familiar with that work environment and know the benefits that come along with in-person nursing.
If you’d like to give telehealth nursing a try but aren’t sure if working remotely will pay off, consider the following benefits.
#1: Telehealth Nursing Avoids Exposure to Illness
In an attempt to limit exposure to the COVID-19 virus, telehealth medicine became an essential tool. Not only does telehealth nursing help the nurse avoid exposure to the germs and illnesses of their patients, but remote nursing also helps to protect patients who are immunocompromised from being exposed to illnesses.
#2: Telehealth Nursing Is Affordable
Telehealth nursing is cost-efficient for both the nurse and the patient.
Patients save money by consulting with a nurse remotely, avoiding hefty costs associated with hospital visits or in-person doctor appointments.
Additionally, patients decrease costs by:
- Not taking time off work
- Avoiding travel costs
- Avoiding childcare costs
- And more
Telehealth providers also share in the cost savings due to:
- Reduced overhead costs
- Lower travel expenses
- Improved patient retention
- Fewer no-shows
#3: Telehealth Nursing Improves Patient Access to Care
Telehealth nursing provides greater access to care for those with limited mobility or those in rural communities.
When mobility is limited, getting to the doctor can be challenging and expensive, requiring the extra effort of caregivers or costs related to transportation services, not to mention the time involved. Telehealth medicine makes it easier for handicapped or elderly patients to receive the medical care they need.
Additionally, those who live great distances from the nearest hospital, doctor’s office, or urgent care facility benefit from telehealth nursing by having care readily available.
Telehealth nursing helps patients:
- Get necessary care for acute conditions
- Have better long-term outcomes
- Receive preventive care
- Get attention for issues before they become severe
#4: Telehealth Nursing Allows Patients to Better Manage Their Chronic Conditions
Chronic conditions like diabetes, arthritis, or heart disease require regular monitoring, and telehealth nursing provides a way for easy, interactive, and accessible monitoring.
Regular remote monitoring helps nurses:
- Stay on top of their patients’ chronic conditions
- Answer questions
- Offer education; and
- Provide instruction on how to manage the condition and related symptoms
Through biosensor devices that are worn, nurses are able to monitor vital signs to determine when they are in safe zones or when they become dangerous, warranting an in-person visit to the doctor or hospital.
#5: Telehealth Nursing Allows Nurses To Better Balance Their Workloads
Nursing is a profession that involves handling a variety of duties that can become overwhelming at times. In addition to direct care to patients, nurses must also manage other clinical and administrative duties, and when there is a nursing shortage, the load becomes even heavier for nurses to carry.
Telehealth provides tools to help nurses manage their workloads and use their time, energy, and resources to the best of their ability while providing the best care to their patients.
When nurses are able to manage their workloads appropriately, it may result in less burnout and better job satisfaction.
If you’ve got questions about travel nursing and telehealth nursing, we can help. Travel nursing is a rewarding career that allows you to do what you love and see the world. Let us help you get started.
What Is Required for Telehealth Nursing?
The requirements for telehealth nursing are similar to those of RNs or LPNs. To become a telehealth nurse, it’s important to know what the licensure requirements are, as well as competency standards and legal requirements.
Licensures
To work as a telehealth nurse, you’ll need to earn a nursing degree and then receive your nursing license. You’ll receive your license from the state where you live or work, so it’s important to be familiar with your state’s requirements.
Telehealth nurses can acquire a license to practice in several states, and the nurse licensure compact (NLC) allows nurses to practice in compact member states. Nurses in nurse licensure compact states can receive a compact multistate nursing license which allows them to work in an NLC state without having to get a new license.
Competency Standards
Telehealth nurses must meet standards of care as outlined by the American Nurses Association. Nurses must meet competency standards as well as standards for safety and quality.
Legal Requirements
As mentioned above, patient privacy and confidentiality are of extreme importance. Telehealth nurses must maintain HIPAA requirements and maintain patient confidentiality pertinent to telehealth medicine.
Take Advantage of Trusted Nurse Staffing and Our Resources To Combine Travel Nursing and Telehealth Nursing
If you’re currently a travel nurse and are interested in entering into the telehealth nursing arena, Trusted Nurse Staffing can help you merge both nursing arenas.
Working with Trusted Nurse Staffing means we’ll walk with you through every step of the travel nurse process — from finding your dream job and location to securing housing to renewing your contract or finding a new assignment when your contract expires.
It’s easy to search for travel nurse jobs on Pronto because you can search by:
- Profession
- Specialty
- Facility; or
- Location
And choosing to work with Trusted Nurse staffing brings all kinds of benefits like sign-on bonuses, health benefits, stipends, and much more.
We also provide helpful resources to help you succeed and excel in your career, like:
- Nursing Continuing Education Guide
- State Licensure Guide
- Nurse Licensure Compact information
- And more
If you’re ready to start your travel nurse career or are ready for a new nursing adventure, Trusted Nurse Staffing and our team are poised and ready to help you find a job and a location you love.
Search for travel nurse jobs on Pronto today.